Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has showered praise on Jose Mourinho ahead of Tuesday's clash with Benfica in the Champions League at St James' Park. Howe has described the self-anointed 'Special One' as a "visionary" and has revealed his admiration for the former Chelsea and Real Madrid coach. Benfica head into the match against Newcastle in search of their first win in the competition this season.
Few strikers have bridged eras and philosophies quite like Hernan Crespo, the Argentine who thrived under football’s finest minds. From Carlo Ancelotti’s calm mentorship at Parma and AC Milan to Jose Mourinho’s fiery motivation at Chelsea and Inter, Crespo experienced both tenderness and tenacity in leadership. Now a coach himself, he blends these lessons and teachings with empathy, pushing with passion, and inspiring with precision.
Former Premier League manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed a key piece of advice from ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho after finding his job under threat. Back in 2004, the Northern Irishman was still an unknown figure outside Reading’s academy system. However, his paths crossed with Mourinho, who took over at Chelsea and brought him into Stamford Bridge to oversee the youth setup.
Ahead of Benfica's presidential election, candidate Joao Diogo Manteigas claims Jose Mourinho, the club’s current manager, “is not a coach with a future” at the Lisbon side and already has his eyes set on managing the Portuguese national team. While acknowledging Mourinho’s winning mentality, Manteigas believes the veteran tactician’s ambitions go beyond Benfica.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca will serve a one-match touchline ban after he admitted a Football Association (FA) charge of misconduct following his dismissal in the 2-1 Premier League victory over Liverpool. The Blues manager has also been fined £8,000 by the FA after his wild celebration following Estevao’s last-gasp winner at Stamford Bridge before the international break.
Former Arsenal academy chief Adries Jonker has claimed that he has the capability to work with Jose Mourinho. Having worked as a deputy to top coaches like Arsene Wenger, Louis Van Gaal and Jupp Heynckes, Jonker might be brought on board after the elections at Benfica if Martim Mayer, the presidential candidate, wins this year's vote.
Jose Mourinho has been accused of inciting abuse, with Premier League referee Anthony Taylor now wary of allowing his family to travel with him across the world after becoming an unfortunate target for the 'Special One' in 2023. While Taylor admits that scrutiny of match officials has gotten a little out of control, he still considers his role as a man in the middle to be "one of the best jobs in the world".
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has opened up on his stormy relationship with Jose Mourinho, revealing how the former Manchester United boss once called him a “piece of sh*t” and how the two later reconciled at Roma. The Armenian also shared the intense methods Mourinho used to instil a winning mindset during their UEFA Conference League triumph.
Matt Jansen has, in an exclusive chat with GOAL, explained why Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard would be a good fit for the manager’s job at Wrexham. He has also admitted that Jose Mourinho would likely relish the “drama” of working alongside Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac in front of documentary cameras if the opportunity ever arose for him to take the reins at SToK Racecourse.
Portugal legend Pepe has heaped praise on his former manager Jose Mourinho following his return to management with Benfica. The pair worked together at Real Madrid in what was, at times, a fractious relationship. But Pepe is delighted to see Mourinho back in his homeland, after he took his place in the dugout at the Estadio da Luz.
Jose Mourinho has piled the pressure on Roberto Martinez as the Benfica boss insisted that Portugal must aim to win the World Cup next year. The Selecao boast one of the best squads in Europe with players like Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva in midfield and an attack spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal are also fresh from winning the Nations League this year.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has hailed Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Fabio Capello as the coaches who “changed football,” while admitting he always wanted to play under Jurgen Klopp and Sir Alex Ferguson. The AC Milan advisor also backed Ancelotti to lead Brazil to 2026 World Cup glory, saying "everything he touches turns to gold".
West Ham have been told that they missed their chance to sign Jose Mourinho as their head coach, but they have signed the next best option in Nuno Espirito Santo, who has replaced Graham Potter at the helm. The Hammers made a disastrous start to the 2025-26 campaign as they lost four out of their first five Premier League matches and were languishing in 19th position.
Steven Gerrard has fired a stern warning to full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold as the Liverpool legend revealed his own transfer links to Real Madrid when Jose Mourinho was managing the Spanish giants. Alexander-Arnold rejected a new contract from the Reds and parted ways with the club this summer to join Los Blancos for a meagre fee of £10 million ($13m).
Nemanja Matic has opened up on his turbulent spell at Roma, accusing the club of breaking promises and lacking respect. The former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder revealed he felt “constantly on trial” despite committing to the Giallorossi for Jose Mourinho and the fans. Now at Sassuolo, Matic reflects on the decisions that shaped his recent two-year journey across Europe.
Jose Mourinho claims that five of his Benfica players were suffering a “self-esteem crisis” ahead of a crunch clash with Porto, leading to the ‘Special One’ adopting a pragmatic mindset against his former employers. Mourinho makes no apologies for setting his side up to frustrate table-topping opposition, with an important point being taken from an uneventful goalless draw.